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Saturday, June 14, 2025 | 11:45 PM
Brian C. Rittmeyer | TribLive
The Hampton Faculty District stadium, Fridley Area, on Monday, April 28, 2025.
This season regarded so much like final season for the Hampton boys lacrosse group.
The Talbots completed second within the part with a 9-1 report, misplaced to Mars within the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals, rebounded to make the state playoffs, after which misplaced an in depth match at District 3 champion Trinity within the PIAA first spherical.
That’s the an identical path as final spring.
“Some folks would possibly simply have a look at the outcomes, they usually have been the identical as final season,” coach Andy DeMichiei mentioned. “However I believed it was a totally totally different group and far improved and general a really profitable season.”
All-WPIAL junior assault Eli Schwarzbach, who scored a team-leading 75 targets, agreed that the outcomes fail to disclose the extent of enchancment.
“It was the identical consequence as final 12 months,” he mentioned. “However I believe there was a transparent improve from final 12 months. We’re trending in the correct route.”
There have been some variations. The Talbots, whose season ended with an 11-8 loss at undefeated Trinity (22-0) on June 3, completed with a greater report this season — 16-6 vs. 12-8 in 2024 — and, extra importantly, they have been extremely aggressive towards the WPIAL’s prime groups.
Hampton’s six losses have been to nine-time defending WPIAL champion Mars (twice), WPIAL Class 2A runner-up South Fayette, Class 3A Pine-Richland, and PIAA semifinalists Trinity and Twin Valley (by an 8-5 rating in late April).
There’s hardly a foul loss within the bunch for the Talbots, who beat Peters Township, 7-4, on Could 22 to achieve the PIAA playoffs for an unprecedented third 12 months in a row.
“We didn’t do what we wished to do, (which was) win the WPIAL championship,” mentioned all-WPIAL sophomore assault Heath Borgo, who scored 31 targets, “however we have been sticking with groups that we wanted to stay with.”
The proof is within the numbers. Final season, Hampton misplaced to Pine-Richland, 14-4. This season, it was 11-10.
South Fayette (20-2) wanted two overtimes to beat Hampton, 6-5.
The Talbots nonetheless haven’t discovered Mars, however they’re closing the hole. Mars routed Hampton, 20-6 and 13-0 of their two ‘24 conferences. This season, the ultimate scores have been 12-5 and 13-6, and each video games have been tied at halftime.
“The advance reveals we will hold with anybody,” Schwarzbach mentioned.
Two years in the past, Hampton misplaced to Lampeter Strasburg, 16-0, within the state playoffs. These days look like over.
“Talent-wise,” DeMichiei mentioned, “now we have made leaps and bounds from my first 12 months.”
The Talbots will return 9 starters, together with 5 of their prime six scorers — Schwarzbach, Borgo, second-team all-section junior assault Levi Whitfield (43 targets), and junior midfielders Brody Eichas (32g) and Will Enterprise (22g).
Different returnees embody all-WPIAL junior midfielder Daniel Leyes, second-team all-section junior defender Sam Brown, sophomore midfielder Joey Stephenson (team-high 85 floor balls) and goalie Kellan Gale, who had a breakout freshman season.
The losses to commencement are two-time all-WPIAL defender Nolan Harris, second-team all-section assault Porter Kelly (41g), together with midfielders Jake Killian and Josh Dunmire, who missed half of the season with a hamstring damage, and reserve goalie Joey Posteraro.
Their offseason plans embody a match in Hershey in mid-July.
“We’ve needed to journey by way of a variety of adversity, and I believe we have to push one another this offseason to get higher,” Borgo mentioned. “I believe now we have a very good probability of being an excellent group subsequent 12 months.”
Tags: Hampton
